-By Warner Todd Huston
Of all the countries in the world that have the potential to become one of the world’s next great superpowers, India is a nation poised to take that step. While there is an awful lot holding that giant nation back, their latest election just might be the next step to a more secure, prosperous future.
This possible new step was the election of a pro business party to govern the nation. For some time India has been controlled by the Congress Party, a very corrupt and typically socialist-styled political party that has done little to bring growth to the country. But the Congress Party has fallen and in a big way.
This week the BJP (the Bharatiya Janata Party) has won a shocking landslide election booting the Congress Party entirely out of power.
Headed by Prime Minister-Elect Narendra Modi, the BJP is a very pro-business and pro-modernity party. Modi has already created India’s version of Texas with his governorship of the Gujarat state, the most prosperous area of India and now he is poised to try and bring that level of success to the whole country.
As Reuters reported: “Modi’s landslide, the most resounding election victory India has seen in 30 years, was welcomed with a blistering rally on India’s stock markets and raucous celebrations at offices across the country of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), where supporters danced, let off fireworks and handed out sweets.”
“The age of divisive politics has ended, from today onwards the politics of uniting people will begin,” Modi said during his victory speech. “We want more strength for the wellbeing of the country … I see a glorious and prosperous India.”
Not everything is assured to be clover for India with this election, though. The problems India has are deep and dangerous.
India has a lot of endemic problems. It has strife between its majority Hindu population and its minority Muslims groups (not that every else in the world doesn’t, naturally, but there the violence can be quite shocking). India still has residual trouble with its disgusting caste system. Women are also struggling to gain modern, civil rights in many areas. You’ll recall the gang rape problems that have been in the news, there. And this isn’t to even mention its troubles with neighboring nation Pakistan, belligerent Muslims all, or its likely trouble with near neighbor China–the latter a major rival for regional and international power.
Modi himself comes with some troubling history, too.
Modi is a strict Hindu nationalist and as Gov. of Gujarat state, he is charged by many with turning a blind eye to the violence perpetrated against the nation’s minority Muslim population. Many fear that this violence may grow if he takes charge of the whole nation.
Further, Modi will be the first leader for some time to have a full majority of his own party in Parliament. He doesn’t have to work with a coalition of opposing voices. This raises both fear and elation as his worst propensities may not have any limiting forces while his best traits will also have nearly free reign.
But, if Modi can get through without any racial strife and can focus on his pro-business policies, his election portends some great things for the potentially great nation.
Still, even with all those troubling signs, India is at what could be a very exciting time in its history. It is at the beginning of addressing its failings, civil rights are awakening there, business is growing and coming into its own, and it is the world’s most populous democracy.
If this great nation continues on its path to modernity without too many side steps, India will quickly become on of the world’s leading nations, one that could likely become a major world power.
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“The only end of writing is to enable the reader better to enjoy life, or better to endure it.”
–Samuel Johnson
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Warner Todd Huston is a Chicago based freelance writer. He has been writing opinion editorials and social criticism since early 2001 and before that he wrote articles on U.S. history for several small American magazines. His political columns are featured on many websites such as Andrew Breitbart’s BigGovernment.com, BigHollywood.com, and BigJournalism.com, as well as RightWingNews.com, CanadaFreePress.com, StoptheACLU.com, Wizbang.com, among many, many others. Huston has also appeared on Fox News, Fox Business Network, CNN, and many local TV shows as well as numerous talk radio shows throughout the country.
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